76 
LETTERS FROM ALABAMA. 
else^ at least not in any plenty, and even many 
insects seem found only there. Many beautiful 
species of flowers grow on them. About a mile 
from where I reside, there is a nice little prairie- 
knoll (for though the prairies are usually quite 
level, they are not invariably so), which is one bed 
of herbage, almost one mass of flowers. Two 
species of Larkspur {DelpMmwn azureum and 
JD. stapMsagria) are common, both elegant flowers 
of a brilliant blue, and much like the common 
larkspur of our English gardens. 
Another plant, still more beautiful, grows here, 
the Coral-tree (Erythrina herhacea). It is a low 
herb, with the leaves ternate, the leaflets brightly 
green, glossy, somewhat lozenge-shaped ; the blos- 
soms, growing in a spike, are papilionaceous, like 
the common pea, though it requires some exami- 
nation to discover that they are so ; for their form 
is very different from the usual shape. The banner 
(vexillum) is very long, slender, and almost tubular^ 
while the other petals are small and inconsiderable : 
the whole flower is somewhat like a slender cylin- 
der, cut off very obliquely, and curved up at the 
point, while from the cavity project the stamens, 
which are yellow, with the anthers bright green. 
The corolla and calyx, being of a most beautiful red, 
have a fine appearance, the long drooping blossoms 
looking very much like pieces of red coral. 
A tall syngenesious plant, bearing a flower much 
like an aster, but with yellow rays [HeliantJiits 
scaher)j is common, and two species of Swallow- 
wort [Asclepias tuber osa and A. farvijlord) grow 
in groups or beds here and there. These latter 
bear large clusters of flowers, the former bright 
orange red, the latter white, both possessing much 
